The 2009 Green Cup, Footbag Net at its best part 2

Finals day at the Green Cup.

We finally get a sunny day and the weather is perfect for playing KICK VOLLEY. As stated in article 1 there are 7 montrealers out of 8 players in the doubles semis, cool. The first semi-finals opposes JF Lemieux and Ben ''Rock on'' Rochon to Alexis Deschênes and François Depatie-Pelletier. It takes a lot of fire power to get past JF and Ben's defence and Alexis and Frinki just don't have enough in them that morning. Winners and on their way to the finals in 2 straight games: JF Lemieux and Benjamin Rochon.

In the second semi-finals veteran Yves Archambault and his partner Luc Legault start the match as major underdogs. They face PT Lovern and Emmanuel Bouchard, the reigning World Champions. As planned Lovern and Bouchard win the 1st game but Archambault and Legault put on a good fight. Then the underdogs won the second game to send this match in an ultimate set. The turning point happened at 3-7 (PT and Manu in the lead) when it took over 20 side-outs to get another point for the champs. The rest of the game was pretty much a walk in the park for Lovern and Bouchard but the match was much longer and tougher than expected. That situation would signify a heavy toll to pay for Bouchard.

The 3 rd place match is played right after this semi-finals and Legault is clearly exhausted. He had to spike so many times in the previous match that he doesn't have much left in him. It shows as he misses a lot of serve receptions, very unusual for him. Deschênes and Depatie-Pelletier cruise to an easy victory in 2 straight sets.

Then the doubles finals started and it promised to be a battle. The first 2 games are a split and moving on to a 3 rd game the red team is very confident (JF and Ben). After 3 points Emmanuel Bouchard has to forfait from the match due to severe leg cramps. The grueling duel of the semi-finals has taken its toll and the Green Cup once again evades the hands of PT Lovern and Manu.

In 2008 they lost at the same stage against germans Patti Schrickel and Florian Gotze.

The new Green Cup champions: From Montréal, Jean-François Lemieux and Benjamin Rochon.

After this match JF defeated frenchis Greg Lima in the singles finals sweetening his doubles victory with yet another title.

In the mixed doubles PT Lovern and Jodi Welch won over JF Lemieux and Lisa Monti.

PRO KICKER footbags were used throughout the entire competition.

The 2009 Green Cup results and picture set on Pro Kicker

Ultimate Fighting in Toronto, Not barbarian?

I saw this guy on the news tonight, claiming on all possible tones, that ultimate fighting should be permitted in Toronto and in Ontario in general. Well let me disagree on the one point he was trying so hard to defend: Is Ultimate fighting barbarian?

The argument he was making was that no death has ever been recorded in this sport, yes I do call it a sport 'cause it can be, how lame an argument is that? It implies that death could be possible. All of this with mixed images of fights with blood splatters all over the place.

If you want your sport to be accepted you have to recognize that it's totally barbarian, and that's what our world is ready to pay for. I watch it sometimes and as much as I can appreciate the training level, technique and all, it is still barbarian to me. Boxing is already on the edge, ultimate fighting is a warrior's dream that only relates to the past.

Rock on sports of the future: Skateboarding, yes you can kill yourself on the ramp but you're not agressing any one else, it's your fight, your fear, and it's much more coureagous. KICK VOLLEY is the symbolization of a martial art fight with no contact allowed, a fight being a communication on a primitive level, the symbolisation of the fight in another level towards balance, equity, communication and control over human problems. Human problems being exported to the planet.